Super Princess Peach

Super Princess Peach is a side-scrolling platformer for the Nintendo DS, made by the Japanese developer Tose with Nintendo’s SPD Group No. 2 and published by Nintendo. It arrived in Japan and Taiwan on 20 October 2005, South Korea a fortnight later, North America on 27 February 2006, Australia at the end of March and Europe on 26 May 2006. It was Peach’s first starring role in a Nintendo-published game, and her last for almost two decades, until Princess Peach: Showtime! in 2024.

The premise flips the usual arrangement. Bowser has built himself a summer villa on Vibe Island, where his commander, the Army Hammer Bro, finds the Vibe Scepter. Turned on Peach’s Castle, it throws everyone into emotional chaos, and while the household is in pieces Bowser’s troops carry off Mario, Luigi and a crowd of Toads. Peach comes home to find a ransom note, and her steward Toadsworth sends her off with an extraordinary umbrella.

That umbrella is Perry, and he does most of the fighting. Peach stomps and stuns enemies, then Perry whacks them, picks them up, throws them or swallows them whole to top up her Vibe Gauge; his growing set of forms turns him into a glider, a ground-pounder, a blaster, a boat and a submarine. The headline feature, though, is the Vibes: four heart panels on the bottom screen switch Peach between Joy, Rage, Gloom and Calm, each with its own powers, music and puzzle uses. The island’s enemies are caught up in the same emotions, so Goombas turn up mad, sad or glad.

There are eight worlds, each with five stages, a boss and three extra stages that open after the credits, and every regular stage hides three Toads in bubbles. Coins buy health, gauge upgrades and new parasol moves at Toad’s shop, and there are jigsaw puzzles, a music room, a glossary and three microphone and stylus minigames to collect. Critics liked its charm and its premise and found it too easy; it scored 75 on Metacritic and went on to sell well over a million copies.

“It was important to us in Super Princess Peach for Peach to be Peach-like.”

Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario 20th anniversary interview, Nintendo Online Magazine (2005); English translation by shmuplations (2022)

Miyamoto went on to describe the carefree optimism of a princess who never thought of herself as someone Mario protects.

Short answers to the things people ask most about Super Princess Peach; each links to the full section.

The complete plot, spoilers included. The story is told in illustrated scenes at the start and end and in Perry’s dreams between worlds.

The Vibe Scepter

Not far from the Mushroom Kingdom lies Vibe Island, and on it a legendary relic that can control emotions. Bowser hears about it, builds himself a summer villa on the island and sets his second-in-command, the Army Hammer Bro, to find it. The Scepter turns up, and Bowser’s plan to grab the Mario Bros. begins.

A Goomba carries the Scepter into Peach’s Castle, and its power sends the household into hysterics. In the confusion the Army Hammer Bro and his troops seize Mario, Luigi and a crowd of Toads and lock them up all over the island. Back at the villa the Goomba waves the Scepter about and throws Bowser’s own minions into emotional uproar, until Bowser takes it off him.

A parasol for the princess

Peach and Toadsworth return to the castle to find everyone in pieces and a note from Bowser boasting that he has the brothers. Peach decides to go after them herself. Toadsworth, not keen on her travelling alone, gives her Perry, a parasol that talks, thinks and fights.

Ladida Plains and Hoo’s Wood

Vibe Island has gone strange. The Goomba’s fooling about with the Scepter has scattered four emotional energies, Joy, Rage, Gloom and Calm, across the land, and Bowser’s troops are under their spell. Peach feels them too, but the Scepter does not control her, so the Vibes become her powers.

The grasslands of Ladida Plains end with Petey Piranha, who sucks up Peach’s tears until his belly swells and can be jumped on. In the forest of Hoo’s Wood the giant owl Hoo claws at a Toad’s bubble, drops eggs that hatch into owlets and, once hurt, switches to Joy and breaks up the floor, so Peach has to float above it and drop on its head.

Shriek Mansion and Fury Volcano

Shriek Mansion is a haunted house full of Boos and weepy enemies. King Boo follows Peach relentlessly through the dark and spawns blue fireballs; the only things that hurt him are the torches around the room, which he puts out as soon as he takes a hit, so Peach has to keep relighting them.

In Fury Volcano the enemies are angry and the floor is lava. Wiggler charges about the arena; Peach uses a Rage stomp to drive a piston that flips him over, then jumps on whichever segment is flashing.

Wavy Beach and Gleam Glacier

Wavy Beach brings the Subrella and a fight with Gooper Blooper, who lashes out with four tentacles and spits goop. Pull off all four and its body can be hit, but it shelters in a healing bubble when it goes Calm, and that bubble has to be popped fast.

Gleam Glacier’s boss is Blizzaurus, an ice dragon that charges, raises glaciers and breathes a freezing beam. Peach’s Rage melts its ice shield three times, and then it changes into a flying ice sprite that rains icicles; she climbs the fallen ones, or jumps in Rage, to reach it.

Giddy Sky: Luigi

Up in the clouds of Giddy Sky waits Giant Kamek, who teleports, fires homing magic and calls in broom-riding Kameks. Peach passes straight through his robe, so only a Joy cyclone in the face will do: it sets his head spinning and leaves him open. With two hits left he switches to Gloom, the central cloud vanishes and Peach must fly up to reach him. When he fades away, Luigi drops out and is free.

Perry’s dreams

After each boss Perry falls asleep and dreams, and bit by bit his past comes back. He was a boy with strange powers, found on a mountain with no memory of who he was, and adopted by a kindly old man. One day two mysterious figures came for him because of those powers; one of them turned him into an umbrella, and he and the old man were parted. Perry escaped, a travelling merchant carried him to a shop, and there Toadsworth sensed something special about him and bought him.

In the last dream, after Luigi is saved, Perry admits he wants to find the old man again, but promises to stay with Peach until Bowser is beaten and Mario is free. There are seven dreams in all, and each can be watched again from the Bonus menu.

Bowser’s Villa

The final world has every kind of enemy, Ball ’n’ Chains in the corridors and Koopatrol statues on the map. At the top Bowser powers up the Army Hammer Bro with Rage and leaves him to it; he throws oversized hammers, summons Hammer Bros and goes down after five hits.

Then it is Bowser himself, charging, breathing fire and throwing hammers, and switching between Joy, Gloom and Rage. Beaten, he turns the Scepter on himself and grows into a giant Bowser who fills the screen, slams his hands and calls down hammers and Bob-ombs. Peach throws the Bob-ombs back so they explode by his eyes, and smashes the symbol that appears when he goes Calm. The final blow sends him flying out of his own villa.

Rescued

Peach frees Mario, who spins her round in triumph, lifts her up and produces flowers from his cap, and she takes everyone home to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Vibe Scepter, dropped when Bowser went flying, is never found. A closing note teases that it might have ended up in the player’s own house, which would explain a few things about their parents’ moods.

Every world on Vibe Island

Each world has stages 1 to 5, a boss at stage 6 and three extra stages, 7 to 9, that open after the credits. Every regular stage hides three Toads.

1. 
   World 1: Ladida PlainsStages 1-1 to 1-9 · boss: Petey Piranha (1-6)Gentle grassland and the place to learn the Vibes; its extra stages open when Bowser is beaten.
2. 
   World 2: Hoo’s WoodStages 2-1 to 2-9 · boss: Hoo (2-6)A forest of everyday enemies; Toad Jump is hidden in 2-4.
3. 
   World 3: Shriek MansionStages 3-1 to 3-9 · boss: King Boo (3-6)A haunted mansion of ghosts and sad enemies; the Slidebrella comes from 3-1.
4. 
   World 4: Fury VolcanoStages 4-1 to 4-9 · boss: Wiggler (4-6)Lava, fire enemies and angry ones; Toad Tote is found in 4-1.
5. 
   World 5: Wavy BeachStages 5-1 to 5-9 · boss: Gooper Blooper (5-6)Sand and sea, and the Subrella from 5-2 to take Perry underwater.
6. 
   World 6: Gleam GlacierStages 6-1 to 6-9 · boss: Blizzaurus (6-6)Ice and snow with sad and angry enemies; Toad Shot is in 6-1.
7. 
   World 7: Giddy SkyStages 7-1 to 7-9 · boss: Giant Kamek (7-6)A cloud world of calm and glad enemies, where Luigi is held.
8. 
   World 8: Bowser’s VillaStages 8-1 to 8-9 · bosses: Army Hammer Bro and Bowser (8-6)Bowser’s holiday home, with every enemy type and Mario locked up at the end.

Peach plays like a classic side-scroller heroine with a few twists: her stomp stuns rather than squashes, Perry does the heavy lifting, and the touch screen is reserved for her mood. The top screen shows her heart meter and Vibe Gauge; the bottom screen holds the four Vibe hearts.

Perry in action

Perry can break blocks, hit enemies, pick up and throw objects, and eat stunned foes, which refills part of the Vibe Gauge; pressing down swallows an enemy he is holding. As the game goes on he gains new forms. The Bowlbrella is a little boat for crossing water and the Slidebrella rides along ropes like a cable car (it unlocks in Shriek Mansion 3-1). The Subrella turns him into a submarine, and blowing into the DS microphone fires bubbles (Wavy Beach 5-2). The Dashbrella lets Peach swing him as she runs.

Three more are bought from Toad’s shop at the start: the Floatbrella (200 coins) lets Peach drift down for a few seconds, the Poundbrella (500) slams downward and pulls in nearby items, and the Chargebrella (700) charges a blast that hits switches and enemies.

The four Vibes

Joy: hold A and Peach floats on a whirl of happiness; let go and she unleashes a tornado that blows away clouds and reaches high ledges, often where Toads are hidden. Rage: she catches fire, lighting lamps, fuelling hot-air balloons and burning wooden obstacles, and each landing makes the ground shake, stunning enemies and pressing big switches. Gloom: two fountains of tears that speed her up, make plants grow into ladders, turn water wheels and leave slippery ice on cold floors. Calm: she restores hearts until the gauge empties, her health is full or something hits her.

Each Vibe also changes the music, from a brighter, faster version of the theme for Joy to a slow, heavy one for Rage. All four drain the Vibe Gauge, which refills from the crystals scattered through every stage and from enemies Perry swallows. Enemies feel the Vibes too: the glossary is full of Mad, Sad, Glad and Calm versions of the usual crowd, and each boss switches to a Vibe of its own partway through the fight.

Hearts, lives and Toads

Peach’s health is a row of hearts, and lives are unlimited: lose every heart and the stage simply starts again. Each of the five regular stages in a world hides three Toads, often tucked away where only one of the Vibes can reach, and the first six bosses each guard one more; Giant Kamek guards Luigi instead. Every Toad and Luigi must be freed before Bowser will fight.

Toad’s shop and the extras

Toad runs a shop on the island map (press R), open from the start. Besides Perry’s three bought forms it sells Tough Coffee for extra health and Vibe Tea for a longer gauge (250, 500, 1,000 and 1,500 coins for successive cups), Courage Soda (coins for every hit, after Shriek Mansion) and Natural Power (the gauge refills when Peach stands still, 3,000 coins after Gleam Glacier). It also stocks music tracks, puzzle pieces and minigame levels.

The extras menu holds a glossary that fills in as enemies are beaten; eight jigsaw puzzles whose pieces are hidden in stages or sold; a music room of 60 tracks, five of them Peach’s voice clips, played by a band called Peach Hit Five (Peach and Toadsworth, joined by three Toads as more tracks are found); replays of Perry’s dreams; and three minigames.

Three Toad minigames

Toad Jump is played entirely with the microphone: blow to make Toad jump over Pokeys, Ptooies and pits, and blow longer to jump further. Toad Tote has you steer Toad with the stylus through a maze of fire walls, Fire Bars and flamethrowers to the exit inside 99 seconds. Toad Shot is a stylus shooting gallery: tap flying targets for points inside 50 seconds, avoid hitting Mario and Luigi, and tap a Bob-omb to blow up everything nearby. Each has ten levels. There is a fourth, too: the little game in the opening scene, which can be replayed by holding R and pressing Start.

After the credits

Beating Bowser opens three extra stages in the first world, and replaying the other boss fights opens the extra stages of the later worlds: 24 extra stages in all. A rematch with Bowser doubles the number of hits his giant form takes. Finish every stage, minigame level and puzzle and collect every music score, and the shop hands over Endless Vibe for nothing: a drink that stops the gauge draining, switched on and off from the Bonus menu.

Vibes, parasols, drinks and pick-ups

Everything Peach uses or collects, with the in-game sprite where one is available.

• 
  JoyFloat while holding A; release for a tornado.
• 
  RageFire aura and a stunning ground-shake on landing.
• 
  GloomFaster running; tears grow plants, turn wheels and freeze on cold floors.
• 
  CalmRestores hearts while draining the gauge.
• 
  BowlbrellaPerry as a boat.
• 
  FloatbrellaDrift down for a few seconds. 200 coins.
• 
  PoundbrellaPound downward and attract items. 500 coins.
• 
  ChargebrellaCharge and fire a blast. 700 coins.
• 
  SlidebrellaSlide along ropes. Unlocked in Shriek Mansion 3-1.
• 
  SubrellaSubmarine; blow into the mic for bubbles. Unlocked in Wavy Beach 5-2.
• 
  DashbrellaSwing Perry while running.
• 
  Tough CoffeeAdds to maximum health. Four cups, 250 to 1,500 coins.
• 
  Vibe TeaExtends the Vibe Gauge. Four cups, 250 to 1,500 coins.
• Courage SodaEarns coins with every attack. 1,000 coins, after Shriek Mansion.
• Natural PowerRefills the gauge while Peach stands still. 3,000 coins, after Gleam Glacier.
• 
  Endless VibeThe gauge never drains. Free once everything is complete.
• 
  Vibe crystalRefills the Vibe Gauge.
• 
  CoinThe shop’s currency; large coins are worth more.
• 
  Puzzle PieceHidden in stages or bought; complete a set to play its jigsaw.
• 
  Music scoreAdds a track to the music room.
• 
  Party BallFound in stages; its design was changed before release.
• 
  Vibe ScepterThe relic at the heart of the story; Bowser uses it to power himself up.

Perry outlived his game: the parasol turned up in Smash Bros., manga and elsewhere.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008)Wii · trophy and stickersPerry has a trophy and a sticker, and another sticker shows Peach holding him.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)Switch · spiritPerry is a Support spirit with the Floaty Jumps skill.

Super Mario-kunManga · volume 37Perry appears in the manga’s Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time arc.

Densetsu no Stafy 4DS · costumeStapy can wear a Peach-themed costume complete with Perry.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic GamesWii · quizA heroine quiz asks whether Peach has ever rescued Mario or Toad; Omochao’s answer mentions her parasol.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Galaxy MovieFilm concept artPerry appears in concept art for the 2023 film, and some of Peach’s official artwork for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is based on her art from this game.

Princess Peach: Showtime! (2024)Switch · Peach’s next lead roleEighteen years later Peach starred again, this time in a theatre. See Princess Peach: Showtime!

Peach is the only playable character, with Perry in her hand. The usual heroes spend the game behind bars.

Character	Who they are	In this game	Abilities & notes
Princess PeachHeroine · playable	Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, home from an outing to find her friends gone. Voiced by Jen Taylor in this game.	Crosses all eight worlds to rescue Mario, Luigi and the Toads, using Perry and her four Vibes.	Hearts upgradeable with Tough Coffee Vibe Gauge upgradeable with Vibe Tea
PerryTalking parasol · new	A lively, excitable parasol with a lost past: once a boy with magic powers, turned into an umbrella. His Japanese name, Kassā, comes from kasa, umbrella.	Peach’s weapon, boat, glider and submarine, and her adviser. His backstory is told in seven dreams.	Seven forms, from Bowlbrella to Subrella Can swallow stunned enemies
ToadsworthPeach’s steward	The elderly Toad who looks after the princess.	Gives Peach Perry before she sets out, and plays in the music room’s band, Peach Hit Five, alongside her.	He bought Perry from a shop after sensing his power.
MarioCaptive	The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, for once the one in need of help.	Captured by the Army Hammer Bro and held at the very end of Bowser’s Villa.	Not playable
LuigiCaptive	Mario’s brother, carried off with him.	Held by Giant Kamek in Giddy Sky; freed when Kamek is beaten.	Not playable
ToadsCaptives and shopkeeper	Peach’s subjects, most of them now locked in bubbles around the island.	Three are hidden in every regular stage and one is held by each of the first six bosses. Another Toad runs the shop; three more join the band.	Must all be freed before the final battle
BowserVillain · final boss	King of the Koopas, on holiday at his new villa.	Takes the Vibe Scepter, has the brothers kidnapped, then fights Peach twice, the second time as a giant.	Uses Joy, Gloom and Rage; Calm as a giant
Army Hammer BroBowser’s commander · new	A high-ranking Hammer Bro who leads the others, making his first appearance here.	Finds the Vibe Scepter and captures Mario; fought just before Bowser.	Five hits to beat; uses Rage repeatedly
The GoombasMoody minions	Bowser’s footsoldiers, here swinging between moods: one of them carries the Scepter into the castle.	Turn up as ordinary, Mad and Sad Goombas, with Glad and Calm versions left unused in the game data.	Stomp to stun, then let Perry deal with them

Bosses & enemies

The ten boss fights first, in order, with the Vibe each boss switches to; then the regular enemies, most of which come in Mad, Sad, Glad or Calm versions as well. Hit points are not shown in the game; where hit counts are known, they are given.

• 
  Petey Piranha (boss)Ladida Plains 1-6 · Vibe: RageSwallows Peach’s tears until his belly bloats, then takes a stomp; leaps about once he goes Rage.
• 
  Hoo (boss)Hoo’s Wood 2-6 · Vibe: JoyA giant owl: three hits in phase one, then two head-drops while Peach floats in Joy.
• 
  King Boo (boss)Shriek Mansion 3-6 · Vibe: GloomOnly lit torches hurt him, and he snuffs them out each time.
• 
  Wiggler (boss)Fury Volcano 4-6 · Vibe: RageFlip him with a Rage-powered piston and stomp the flashing segment.
• 
  Gooper Blooper (boss)Wavy Beach 5-6 · Vibe: CalmRemove all four tentacles; pop its healing bubble quickly.
• 
  Blizzaurus (boss)Gleam Glacier 6-6 · Vibe: JoyIce dragon with three lives, then a flying ice sprite; Rage breaks its shield.
• 
  Giant Kamek (boss)Giddy Sky 7-6 · Vibe: GloomA Joy cyclone to the face makes him dizzy; goes Gloom with two hits left.
• 
  Army Hammer Bro (boss)Bowser’s Villa 8-6 · Vibe: RageBig hammers and Hammer Bro backup; five hits of any kind.
• 
  Bowser (boss)Bowser’s Villa 8-6 · Vibes: Joy, Gloom, RageCharges, fire and hammers; Joy makes him leap, Gloom throws six hammers, Rage doubles his speed.
• 
  Giant Bowser (final boss)Bowser’s Villa 8-6 · Vibe: CalmThrow his own Bob-ombs back to explode at his eyes; break the Calm symbol.
• 
  GoombaAlso Mad and SadThe basic foe, now with mood swings.
• 
  Mad GoombaRageAngry and harder to handle.
• 
  Sad GoombaGloomTearful; an unused stage is full of them.
• 
  ParagoombaAlso SadKeeps its Super Mario Bros. 3 hopping pattern.
• 
  Red ParagoombaAlso MadThe red version from Super Mario Bros. 3 returns.
• 
  Koopa TroopaGreen; also MadShell and all.
• 
  Red Koopa TroopaAlso GladTurns cheerful under Joy.
• 
  Koopa ParatroopaGreen; also MadWinged Koopas.
• 
  Red ParatroopaAlso GladRed flyers.
• 
  LakituAlso CalmCloud-rider.
• 
  SpinyAlso SadSpiked shell; no stomping.
• 
  Mecha-Spike TopAlso MadA mechanical spiked crawler.
• 
  Hammer BroAlso CalmThe Army Hammer Bro’s rank and file.
• 
  Amazing Flyin’ Hammer BroAlso CalmA Hammer Bro on a winged platform.
• 
  SpikeAlso MadGreen spiked-ball thrower.
• 
  Piranha PlantAlso GladPipe-dwelling biter.
• 
  Nipper PlantAlso SadSmall snapping plant.
• 
  PtooieAlso GladA plant foe with a spiked ball.
• 
  Volcano PlantAlso CalmA fiery plant.
• 
  PokeyAlso MadStacked cactus.
• 
  Cheep CheepAlso SadFish.
• 
  BlurpAlso MadGoggle-eyed fish.
• 
  BlooperAlso GladSquid.
• 
  UrchinUnderwaterSpiny sea hazard.
• 
  BooAlso MadShy ghost.
• 
  Big BooAlso MadSupersized Boo.
• 
  Dry BonesAlso SadSkeletal Koopa that falls apart.
• 
  Fishin’ BooAlso CalmA Boo on a cloud with a fishing line.
• 
  PodobooLavaLava bubble.
• 
  Lil SparkyHazardA small spark.
• 
  HotheadHazardA larger cousin of Lil Sparky.
• 
  ThwompAlso CalmCrushing stone block.
• 
  Torpedo TedAlso GladUnderwater missile.
• 
  Bullet BillAlso MadFired from cannons.
• 
  Banzai BillAlso MadA giant Bullet Bill.
• 
  CannonAlso CalmFires the Bills.
• 
  Bob-ombAlso GladWalking bomb; giant Bowser throws them, and Peach throws them back.
• 
  ParabombAlso GladA Bob-omb on a parachute.
• 
  Chain ChompAlso CalmLunging ball on a chain; a Big Chain Chomp appears too.
• 
  FangAlso GladBat.
• 
  RavenAlso SadCrow-like flyer.
• 
  RexAlso SadThe dinosaur from Super Mario World.
• 
  WalrussEnemyA walrus foe.
• 
  StarfishEnemyA starfish foe.

Key staff

From the end credits.

A Nintendo heroine in a game built outside Nintendo’s own studios: Tose made it with producers from Nintendo’s SPD group.

Tose and Nintendo SPD

The game was developed by Tose Software Co. together with Nintendo SPD Group No. 2. Akio Imai and Azusa Tajima directed; Yasuhiro Minamimoto and Hitoshi Yamagami produced, with Shin Kondo as general producer and Satoru Iwata as executive producer. Takayuki Ikeda is credited with the concept, Akira Mochizuki and Yuichiro Nakayama with the main design, Kenta Egami with the programming and Akira Fujiwara with the music. Peach’s look was supervised by a team that included Yoichi Kotabe.

Making Peach Peach-like

In a Mario 20th anniversary interview for Nintendo Online Magazine in 2005, translated by shmuplations, Shigeru Miyamoto said the aim was for Peach to be Peach-like, and that details such as her parasol were chosen with that in mind. He described her as a princess with a carefree optimism who has never seen herself as someone Mario protects, said the team’s image of her was a strong one, and hoped to keep using her in different games.

What changed before release

Early screenshots show a rather different game. Peach’s portrait sat on the top screen instead of the bottom, there were no heart panels, the background was a flat bright green and Peach herself looked different. Her tears were big round drops rather than a continuous stream, and the Party Ball and Bob-ombs had other designs. One screenshot shows a map for an icy world like Gleam Glacier in the place of world three.

Some leftovers are still on the cartridge: animations for all seven Koopalings, who never appear, early Goomba, Boo, Peach, Luigi and Toad sprites, Glad and Calm Goombas, and an unused stage packed with Sad Goombas.

Launch

Wikipedia records that Nintendo first announced the game in October 2004, without a date. It came out in Japan and Taiwan on 20 October 2005 and in South Korea on 4 November, then in North America on 27 February 2006 and Australia at the end of March. Nintendo’s European press release of 13 March 2006 set 26 May for Europe at around £30, promising hidden picture pieces, music and touch-screen minigames as well as the Vibes.

What the game added to the series, checked against the sources.

No codes, but plenty to find. Super Luigi Bros also has a separate cheats page for this game.

Where the minigames are

Toad Jump is hidden in Hoo’s Wood 2-4, Toad Tote in Fury Volcano 4-1 and Toad Shot in Gleam Glacier 6-1. Levels 2 to 7 of each cost 100 to 350 coins in the shop; the rest are hidden in stages.

Replay the opening minigame

Hold R and press Start to replay the little game from the opening scene with Toadsworth.

Unlocking the extra stages

Beat Bowser to open stages 1-7 to 1-9. Replaying the other boss battles opens the extra stages in the later worlds, 24 in all.

Endless Vibe

Clear every stage, every minigame level and every puzzle, and collect every music score; Endless Vibe then costs nothing in the shop and can be switched on from the Bonus menu.

Shop unlocks

Courage Soda appears after Shriek Mansion, Natural Power after Gleam Glacier. Puzzle B, C and D pieces go on sale after Hoo’s Wood 2-6, Fury Volcano 4-6 and Gleam Glacier 6-6.

A tougher Bowser

Fight Bowser again after the credits and his giant form takes twice as many hits.

Boss tips

Use Gloom against Petey Piranha (he swallows the tears), keep relighting King Boo’s torches with Rage, Rage-stomp to work Wiggler’s piston, and save Joy for Giant Kamek’s face.

Two of the game’s television adverts, both third-party uploads: the North American commercial and the Japanese one.

• Perry’s Japanese name, Kassā, is a play on kasa, the Japanese word for umbrella.
• Bosses take up entries 80 to 89 of the in-game glossary.
• Toadsworth’s line as he hands over Perry paraphrases the famous warning about going alone from The Legend of Zelda.
• Peach throwing enemies, and gliding with the Floatbrella, recall her abilities in Super Mario Bros. 2.
• The final battle, a giant Bowser beaten with thrown objects, mirrors the last fight of Donkey Kong on Game Boy.
• Koopatrol statues from Paper Mario stand on the Bowser’s Villa map.
• Petey Piranha and Gooper Blooper came from Super Mario Sunshine, and Petey, Wiggler and Gooper are beaten in similar ways to that game.
• Toad Jump uses only the microphone: blow to jump.
• The Subrella fires bubbles when you blow into the microphone.

• 

  Animations for all seven Koopalings are in the game data, though none of them appears.
• The music room has 60 tracks, five of which are Peach’s voice clips.
• The closing note hints that the Vibe Scepter may now be in the player’s own home.
• There are seven dreams of Perry’s past; the last comes after Giant Kamek is beaten and Luigi is free.
• Glad and Calm Goombas exist in the game’s files but were never used.
• Nintendo’s European press release called the relic a wand rather than a sceptre.
• Perry is a Support spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, with the Floaty Jumps skill.

The DS boxes from around the world, plus the pre-release North American cover.

More from Vibe Island.

Official artwork, logos and promotional art.

Super Princess Peach has not been remade, and Peach waited more than eighteen years for another lead role.

Releases

• Announcement October 2004Announced by Nintendo without a date (per Wikipedia).
• Nintendo DS (Japan, Taiwan) 20 October 2005First release.
• Nintendo DS (South Korea) 4 November 2005Korean release.
• Nintendo DS (North America) 27 February 2006North American release.
• Nintendo DS (Australia) 30 March 2006Some sources give 31 March.
• Nintendo DS (Europe) 26 May 2006Around £30 at launch, per Nintendo’s press release.
• Nintendo DS (South Africa) 26 September 2008Reported release date.
• Princess Peach: Showtime! 22 March 2024Peach’s next starring game, on Switch.

Perry after Vibe Island

Perry became a minor Nintendo icon: a trophy and stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a spirit in Ultimate, a cameo in the Super Mario-kun manga, a costume in Densetsu no Stafy 4 and a quiz answer in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Some of Peach’s Galaxy Movie artwork even borrows from this game’s art.

Peach’s next lead role

It took until 2024 for Peach to headline again, in Good-Feel’s Princess Peach: Showtime! on Switch, with a new sidekick, Stella, in place of Perry. For other DS platformers of the era see New Super Mario Bros. and our games index.

Sales

In July 2007 IGN reported, from Nintendo’s sales update, that Super Princess Peach had sold 1.15 million copies worldwide. The Japanese industry body CESA’s Games White Paper of 2020 gives a higher lifetime total of 1.7 million, according to Wikipedia.

• 1.7mworldwide (CESA Games White Paper 2020, via Wikipedia)
• 1.15mworldwide by July 2007 (IGN)
• 75Metacritic, 48 reviews
• 34/40Famitsu

Reviews

Generally positive: Metacritic 75 from 48 reviews and GameRankings 76.6%. Scores are as listed by Wikipedia.

Critics enjoyed the role reversal and the charm. Nintendo World Report found it cute and delightfully absurd, GameSpot liked how the Vibes put a new spin on familiar platforming ideas, and Vooks said they stopped it from feeling like a by-the-numbers Mario copy. The minigames, Perry and the presentation were widely praised.

The common complaint was that it was too easy. IGN’s Craig Harris felt it held the player’s hand too much, GameSpy observed that between the shop and Calm it was hard to die, and X-Play’s Morgan Webb pitched it at first-time platform players. Some reviewers also took issue with powers based on a woman’s mood swings: GameSpot’s Ryan Davis saw sexist undertones and GameSpy asked whether Nintendo thought all women were emo. Eighteen years later a CGMagazine retrospective argued the opposite, reading the Vibes as empowering.

Honours

Super Princess Peach has yet to receive a community review on Super Luigi Bros.

If you’ve played Super Princess Peach and would like to submit a review, please get in touch.

Every fact on this page was checked against the 14 sources listed here.